Til Fate Do Us Part
by SonicKnuxMiku25096
Summary: This is Sweetly Dark Love told from Phoebe's point of view. Phoebe is a young girl forced into prostitution from her father. She hated her life and struggled to find happiness within it. Her belief in fate is the one thing she clings onto in hopes of turning her life around some day. Little does she know that fate itself will change her life forever.
1. Epilogue, Chapter 1 and 2

'Til Fate Do Us Part

~Phoebe's POV~

Prologue:

Fate… Everyone talked about it… "Fate brought us together", "Fate brought me here", "Fate gave me this body"… They talked about fate when it came to which man they were going to sleep with next. But fate's different than that. It brings two people together who will be in love for eternity, not just for one night. I believed in fate. I had to. It was the only thing that kept me going. I believed that a man would come here who wouldn't use me for my body, but instead love me as a person. Little did I know that my wish was going to be answered…

I tentatively walked along the streets of the town. I stumbled a couple of times on the stupid stilettos I always had to wear. As a group of men whistled at me, I tried to cover myself more with the coat around my shoulders. I came into the town with no idea of what I was going to see. It was only my first time out. As I stumbled again, a man behind me whistled as I noticed him looking up my dress. I turned and glared at him. He smiled slightly before finally walking away. I walked faster, desperate to get what I needed and leave.

But something caught my eye. Correction; _someone _caught my eye. It was a man, but he wasn't human… He fell to his knees as he shivered violently. I walked slightly closer to the alley he was in. His eyes started to droop. He fell onto the ground completely, face first. I gasped slightly and rushed to his side.

"Sir! Sir, are you all right?"

He didn't answer. He was out cold. I touched his body for a second and could've sworn that he was frozen solid. I don't know why, but I stayed with him, desperate to get him to wake up. I didn't have clue one as to what to do… There was no way I could carry him. But maybe…

I ran as fast as I could back to the mansion. I paid no attention to the men that observed my chest as I ran. I had something more important to worry about.

Chapter One:

A few of the servants had carried the strange man to one of the empty guest rooms. I couldn't help but ask Madam Espenil about his condition.

"Um, Madam…" I asked nervously, "Is that man going to be all right?"

She smiled at me. "Yes, Phoebe, he will be just fine. Once he warms up, he'll wake up."

"Ok…"

She looked at me curiously. "Phoebe, is something wrong?"

I looked down at the floor, avoiding her eyes. "No Madam, its nothing." I bowed slightly, "Excuse me."

I began to walk away, but Madam Espenil said, "Phoebe, I have one request."

I stopped and turned around.

"Please, come to the dining hall around the same time as our new guest. He may want to meet the girl who saved his life."

"Y-Yes Madam…" I bowed again before walking away back to my room.

I sat on my bed nervously as I waited for the guest to wake up. There were rumors that he was an echidna, but I had never seen one, so I wouldn't know. I couldn't shake the uneasiness in my stomach. Would he appreciate what I had done for him? Would he just think of me as a pathetic harlot? Maybe he would try and use me like all the other men… But something deep inside me told me that he wouldn't. I don't know what it was, but the feeling was strong.

Just when I thought I would never see him, I caught a glimpse of him walking down the hall. I rushed to the door and watched him from behind and he continued walking. I felt my cheeks burn slightly as I became more anxious. I quickly grabbed my shoes and slipped them on. I clumsily walked in the high shoes a fairly long distance behind him. I groaned to myself as I was forced to walk sideways down the steps. Walking forward definitely would've caused me to topple down the stairs head first. The man had already entered the dining hall. I waited outside the door timidly. My cheeks were still burning hot. What would he think of me…? The suspense was killing me…

As I waited for Madam Espenil to call me in, I tried as best I could to cover my chest more. Unfortunately, the dress was so fitted and skimpy that there was no use in even trying. I huffed.

"Curse this dress…"

Suddenly, I heard Madam call, "Phoebe! Come here, dear."

I took as deep of a breath as I could. Just stay calm… Just stay calm…

I carefully opened the door, stepped inside, and shut it behind me. I kept my head down and my hands folded in front of my skirt. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the man turn around slightly in his chair to look at me. I tried to hide the blush across my cheeks. I walked over to the table, and to my dismay, I stumbled a few times. I saw Margarita and Carla snicker at me as I passed them. I paid no attention to them.

I stood beside Madam's side and bowed. "Is there something you require Madam?"

"Yes dear. Go and pour our guest some red wine for this special occasion."

"Yes Madam."

I walked over to the middle of the table, trying to keep my hands steady as I picked up the glass of wine. I started to bring it over to him, but, as usual, Margarita and Carla didn't want me to have an easy time. They both stuck their feet out before I could notice. I gasped in shock as I fell forward. Everything seemed to slow down as I tried to catch myself. I fell onto my face, watching in horror as the glass shattered beside me. I shut my eyes as wine splattered everywhere. I heard Margarita and Carla laugh cruelly beside me. I inelegantly got to my feet, my body throbbing. Margarita and Carla left in a hurry. I looked down at the disarray I had caused in complete and utter embarrassment. I saw the man staring at me blankly.

"I-I'm so sorry, sir!" I hastily apologized. He gave no answer.

I snatched a napkin off the table and tried to clean up the mess, but Madam Espenil cleared her throat.

"Phoebe, dear, please leave that to the servants. You may head back to your room now."

I felt tears burning in my eyes as I looked up at her. I so desperately wanted to apologize to her, but I knew it would make no difference. I got up and bowed to her, then turned and curtsied to the guest. I sniffled several times as I walked out, no longer caring about how I looked. I had already messed up my first impression.

Chapter Two:

I threw my shoes onto the floor in frustration as I collapsed onto the bed in tears. I had blown it… I had completely blown it… I had embarrassed myself in front of him, in front of Madam Espenil… She would be furious with me…

I sniffled as I remembered the way he looked at me with those eyes… He didn't care about me… Why should I care about him? He was no one too special. But his eyes... They were dark and mysterious and so strange to look at. He was different, that much was certain. But why did I feel so ashamed about messing up in front of him? It made no sense. But something inside me told me that I had to redeem myself the next time I saw him. I had to. There was no other option. But as I heard a knock on the door, I knew that there was someone else I had to worry about more.

"C-Come in…" I said as I hurriedly rose to my feet and wiped my eyes. Madam Espenil slowly entered and closed the door behind her. I bowed to her slightly, my head down, hands folded.

"Phoebe, please, raise your head."

I did as I was told. My eyes did not meet hers, however. I felt her gazing at me for several moments before she finally sighed.

"Phoebe, I must talk to you…"

"It wasn't my fault!" I interrupted, my eyes snapping up at her desperately. She stared at me.

"Phoebe…"

"It wasn't my fault, please believe me!" I cried, the tears coming back, "It was Margarita and Carla! They tripped me, I swear!"

"Phoebe, listen to me!" She put her hands firmly on my shoulders. I stopped talking completely.

She smiled at me. "Phoebe, I don't blame you for what happened. I know what happened. I saw it. I have already given them a suitable punishment, don't worry. I know that you didn't mean for it to happen."

"R-Really?" I breathed.

She nodded.

I smiled up at her. "Thank you, Madam."

She took her hands away from me and stepped back slightly. She examined me up and down.

"Now, clean yourself up. If you need any help with getting the stains out, ask Alice. She should be able to help."

I nodded. "Yes Madam."

She kissed the top of my head lightly. "Take care of yourself, Phoebe."

She turned around and carefully left. I sat back down on the bed and smiled to myself. That's one less person to worry about… But there was still one person I needed to see before the end of the day.

I slipped off my reddened dress and immediately stepped into the shower. I let the warm water wash away the remaining wine from my body. I washed my hair furiously, scrubbing away the wretched red color. Afterwards, I dried myself off quickly and blow-dried my wavy brown hair. I wrapped the towel tightly around myself as I began the arduous task of scrubbing off the deep stains. After several minutes, there were still tints of the marks, although they had now turned to a light pink color. I groaned in frustration and gave up on it. I went to the closet and pulled out an entirely new dress. It was exactly like the stained one. Madam Espenil knows that accidents happen, more than one type, so she gives each prostitute at least three dresses, just to be safe. At first I thought it was stupid, but sure was glad of it now. The last thing I wanted was to walk through the hallways in only a robe and underclothes. Catch a guest when you're dressed like that, and he'll rip your robe right off.

I pulled the dress on and tightly tied the bodice. Trust me when I say that the dresses fit each girl right down to the rib size. The only thing that didn't suffocate you was the skirt, which had a small hoop skirt in it so that it made a small circle around your hips. I slipped on my stupid stilettos and walked down the hallway. I made it to Alice's room as quickly as possible before any of the guests had a chance to see me. I knocked on her door briskly.

"Come in," she said.

I opened the door slightly and looked inside for a moment before stepping inside. Alice continued to busily fold towels as I walked closer to her.

"Alice, you got a second?"

"Yeah, hang on a moment."

She skillfully finished folding in less than a minute. She placed all of the towels in a laundry basket before turning around to face me.

"Whatcha need, Phoebe?"

I handed her my dirty dress. She smiled teasingly as she observed it.

"Is this from the meal ordeal?"

"H-How did you know about that!?"

She laughed. "I'm pretty sure the whole mansion knows about it."

"Great…" I turned red as I looked at the floor in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, Phe. You'll be fine. You still have to keep your head up to ward off the demons."

I laughed. "Yeah, you're right. Washing my dress won't be a problem, will it?"

She shrugged. "I deal with piles and piles of laundry each day. This won't be any more complicated task."

I smiled. "Thanks Alice."

"Any time."

Alice and the rest of the servants were generally really nice to me. Alice was one my closest friends in the mansion. I wasn't friends with any of the prostitutes. None of the prostitutes were friends with the servants, except for me of course. They understood my situation and sympathized with it. I was kind of jealous of them because they had dresses that were similar in design, but it covered their chests and arms. The skirt was the same, but they could wear leggings underneath, and they didn't have to wear high heels. I wanted to be a servant far more than I wanted to be a prostitute.

But my mind was thinking about something else. I was thinking about that man, that strange man. The other prostitutes said he looked creepy. Sure, he looked a lot different than the other guests, but I didn't think he was creepy. Actually, I thought he was attractive…

I was thinking thoroughly about how I was going to meet him again. Maybe I could find an excuse to. I didn't know if I would see him anywhere else. I started to walk faster as I went to the kitchen.

I poured the tea delicately into one small cup. I put the rest of the pot onto a tray along with the cup. I balanced the tray with both hands and carried it down to the medical facility, where I had heard that the new guest was staying. It was a shame that I still didn't know his name. I took a long deep breath as I paused at the door. I knocked lightly.

At first, there was no answer. But then, after a few nerve-racking seconds, he said, "Come in."

I gulped. He sounded a little bit impatient…

I slowly opened the door and stepped inside. I was careful to keep the tray balanced in the palm of my hand. The last thing I needed was another huge slip. I looked down at the floor, my face burning.

"Um, I brought some tea sir…" I said softly.

When he didn't say anything, I looked up at him and asked, "Sh-Should I place it on the table?"

He nodded slightly as he scrutinized me. I placed the tray on the table and went back to staring at the floor anxiously. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw him turn around and go back to what he was doing. I didn't know what to do… Should I say something else?

I heard him let out a sigh. "If that is all you came to bring, then you may be excused."

I gasped unintentionally. I felt my eyes burn in shame and disappointment.

"Y-Yes sir…" I said. I curtsied at his back and only hesitated a moment before leaving. I shut the door behind me and fell back against it. A single tear rolled down my cheek. He hated me… He barely knew me, and I barely knew him, but I could tell… He hated me… He really hated me…


	2. Chapter 3, 4 and 5

Chapter Three:

Even though I knew he hated me, and even though he never asked for me, I kept bringing tea to him every day. I'm not sure what compelled me to do it… Maybe I was trying to cling to the hope that he felt just a twinge of something towards me. Whenever I brought it, he never said anything. He never looked at me. He just kept on doing whatever it was he was doing. It looked like he was making something, but I had no idea what. I always lingered for a minute in his room, praying that he would notice me or acknowledge me in some way. But he never did. So why I kept coming day after day… even I'm not sure.

But one day, he did actually say something. As I was putting the tray on the table as usual, I saw him turn and look at me.

"Is bringing this to me day after day something that Madam Espenil requires?" he asked. I looked up at him in shock. He stared at me blankly as he waited for my response.

"O-Oh…" I stuttered, "Well, no… But you never seem to leave this room, so I thought that maybe you would get thirsty from time to time." That wasn't true. But he didn't seem to notice. He turned back to what he was doing. I felt myself choking up from my desperation.

"B-But if you don't want me to bring it anymore, then I won't!"

He took a second to respond. "No. That's all right. Do as you wish."

I let out a slow breath. At least he didn't ask me to leave completely… I curtsied at his back. "Please excuse me, sir." I opened the door and steadily left. I let out a deep sigh. So, he really didn't want me there… The only reason he didn't tell me to flat out stop coming was that he probably didn't want to be too rude. I kept my head down as I walked silently to Alice's room.

"Phoebe, what is it with you and this guy?"

"I-I don't know… I just can't explain it…"

I had told Alice all of my worries and feelings towards the man. She didn't quite understand it, and neither did I… but I had to talk to someone about it.

Alice sighed. "Phoebe, do you love him?"

"N-No! Of course not! I barely know him, and besides, it's against the rules!"

She crossed her arms. "Then what would you call it?"

"I-I… I…" I had no idea. I knew she was right. But there was no way I was in love with him!

"How can I love him if I don't even know his name?" I challenged.

"Would you like to?"

"Well… I don't know…"

"Yes you do," she decided for me, "so I'll tell you. I heard this from the other servants that were at the dining table the day he first came. His name is Dr. Finitevus."

Finitevus… Such a strange name… But something about it made my heart throb.

"See, you do love him," Alice said, as if reading my mind, "I can see it in your eyes."

I sighed and put my face in my hands, tears starting to form. "Alice, what am I going to do?"

She sat down beside me on her bed and put an arm around my shoulder. "Come on Phe, don't sweat it. Just try a different approach."

"A different… approach?" I looked over at her questionably.

"You know, stop being a silent little lamb and be a gorgeous angel."

"And how do I do that?"

She laughed slightly as she smiled evilly. "You know… rub yourself against him, whisper in his ear, seduce him…"

"Alice!" I shrieked, my eyes going wide and face turning to a dark red.

She fell back onto the bed as she held her stomach and laughed.

"Oh man! You should see your face! You do have the hots for him, there's no denying it now!"

I stared at the floor in embarrassment. She was right… She sat up after a minute and nudged me with her shoulder.

"Come one Phe, you know I'm just kidding. But I am serious about one thing. If you really want this guy, you gotta stop being so quiet. You need to speak up and tell him how you feel."

"B-But… What if…?"

"If he doesn't love you back, so what? At least you'll know."

I nodded and smiled slightly. "Thanks Alice." I hugged her warmly.

"Don't mention it," she said, hugging me back, "If you need anything else, you know where to find me."

"See ya."

"Later."

I got up and walked out into the hallway smiling to myself. I felt more confident now. I knew his name now… That was good start… And I finally was willing to admit it. I love him… I love him…

The next day, I decided not to visit Finitevus. I needed to think of how I was going to approach him. He didn't seem to really care about me. He might be one of those people that when you told them you loved them, they just said, "Ok" and walked away. But I didn't know that for sure. But how would I tell him…?

I didn't have much time to think about it. A knock came at my door so suddenly that I nearly jumped out of my skin. I let out a deep breath, stood up, straightened my skirt, and slowly opened the door. Standing in my doorway, a guest that I distinctly recognized was leaning up against the door frame.

"Mr. Lloyd…" I said in slight surprise. It wasn't that shocking though. He had tried to feel me up the first time I ran into him.

"Hey, Pheebes," he said with a slight slur. Oh no… He was tipsy, maybe even wasted.

"Is there something you need?" I asked hurriedly. Please go away before you ask me to…

"I need you in my bed," he replied. Too late…

"Um… Well, I don't really know where your room is, so…"

"Doesn't matter. You got a bed, don't ya?"

"Um… Yes, but…"

"Then take that pretty little get up off and hook up with me."

He slowly started walking towards me. I backed up more and more to keep at least a little distance between us. He was already a strong and muscular man. Not like Arnold Schwarzenegger ripped, but average ripped. And he was drunk. Those two factors combined meant a lot of trouble for me. I gulped and nervously grabbed the lamp from behind me and held it behind my back. Lloyd kept walking closer and closer until I was edged up against the bed. I waited with bated breath as he stood right in front of me. He grinned.

"So, what do ya say?" He rose his hand up and tried to slide it up my skirt. I took the lamp and tried to hit him, but he got out of the way in time and the lamp shattered onto the floor. I managed to slip away towards the door and pick up some of the large chunks of glass. He kept walking closer to me.

"S-Sir… Please… Stop…" I begged as he put a hand on the wall just to the right of my head.

"Come on, Pheebes… Y'know, it's your job to do this kind of stuff." He put one hand on my hip.

"N-No… Please, stop!" I tried to throw the glass at him, but as he snatched it away, it cut my hands and shattered on the floor, the shards rising up and puncturing my skin. I screamed out in pain and tried to run away, but he pinned me up against the wall. I started crying profusely, fear taking over me. He took one hand and fondled my breast. I recoiled in revulsion and tried to get away, but he balled up his fist and hit me in the eye as hard as he could, causing me to gasp and fall onto the floor. I cowered in pain and fright as he kicked me in the stomach several times. I cried out in agony.

"You're gonna give me what I want," he snarled. I shook in horror as he reached his hand towards me. No one could help me… He was going to rape me…

But before he even touched me again, a ring opened up in front of me with a portal inside of it. I looked at it in shock with my one good eye as Lloyd went tumbling into it. He disappeared and then reappeared through another ring that had appeared on the ceiling. He fell onto the floor with a loud _THUD!_ Some of the glass shards dug into his face, causing him to yell in pain and then quickly pass out. I looked at his unconscious body in astonishment. What just…?

Finitevus walked into the room and picked up the unusual ring. I looked over at him. I felt my mind blacking out as I fought to stay awake.

"Finitevus…?" I muttered. I felt his arms wrap around me as he picked me up. The last thing I saw was him walking out the door with me in his arms.

Chapter Four:

I groaned as I slowly woke up. Only my right eye was able to open as I looked over at Finitevus. He was staring at me blankly. I steadily sat myself up on the edge of the bed he had placed me on. I looked at my injured hands and saw fresh bandages wrapped around them. My shoes had been placed at the post of the bed.

"W-Where am I?" I asked.

"In the medical facility, or as you might know it, the place where I'm staying."

I look over at him in alarm. I couldn't believe he had actually taken me to his room.

"Oh…" was all I said in return. I submitted to my natural habit of ruffling my skirt. I tried to keep my head down to hide my blush, but I figured he had already seen it. "Th-Thank you," I said gently. He turned back to what he was doing.

"Tell me, out of curiosity, what transpired in your room?"

I looked down at the floor in sorrow at remembering the horrible incident. "Well, one of the guests here had gotten kind of drunk. He's seen me a lot before, so he kind of knew where I was. I don't know how much you saw, but…" I found myself fighting back tears, "He told me to take my dress off. I told him no, but he kept on insisting. I tried to throw stuff at him, but it only ended up hurting me." I held up my hands for emphasis, "And that's how this happened. Pretty soon, he had me pinned up against the wall, and… He tried… He almost… You know…" I couldn't continue. I figured he knew what I meant, so I didn't force the words out. I sniffled as tears burned in my right eye.

Finitevus slowly walked over to me and wiped them away with his finger. I stared at him inquiringly. "W-Why did you save me, and why are you helping me now?"

He waited a second before replying. "You, my dear, are but a tool to those brutes that come in this place. They see you as nothing more than a plaything that is meant to be used by all men. I simply freed you from that temporarily."

I looked into his eyes; those strange, mystifying, mysterious eyes. My lip started to quiver. "Th-Thank you…" I started to cry harder, the tears dripping off of my face. In the heat of the moment, I placed my face in his chest, my fingers brushing the warmth of his fur. He wrapped his arms around me tautly. We didn't even twitch for at least a minute as I continued to cry. Once I was finally done letting out all of my sorrow, I slowly fell asleep as he kept his grip firm around me.

A few days had passed, and I was still in Finitevus's room. I enjoyed every moment of being with him. He seemed to like me more than I had originally thought. We didn't talk to each other much, but that didn't matter. Just seeing him was enough. Besides, I wanted to hide my crush on him for as long as possible, at least, until I knew whether or not he loved me.

Even though I had no idea if he loved me or not, he was still so romantic. He talked really properly, like a gentleman. That was something you almost never found anymore. He was pretty secretive, but that didn't matter either. If he wanted to tell me something, he would.

One day, out of nowhere, he asked, "Phoebe, would you mind it at all if I called you by a different name?"

I looked up at him curiously as I sat on the side of the bed. "What name do you want to call me?"

"Aphrodite."

I thought about it for a moment. I smiled, my cheeks turning pinker. Aphrodite… He thought of me as a goddess… My stomach fluttered with excitement. I wanted to just jump up and kiss him right then and there.

Instead, I settled for, "You can call me whatever you wish, sir."

"Please, call me Finitevus."

I bowed my head, my smile broadening. "Ok… Finitevus…"

For the first time, he smiled at me. My heart beat a thousand times faster. I felt my skin fill up with goose bumps. I was able to look at him halfway through my swollen eye. My hands had healed up really well. I no longer needed the bandages around them. My bruises had finally disappeared to my relief.

All of a sudden, I saw a letter come sliding in from under the door. Finitevus and I both looked down at it. Finitevus went over and picked it up, examining the front of it. I watched curiously as he carefully took out the letter and read it to himself. After a few moments, he folded the letter again and neatly put it back in the envelope.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The Madam has been searching for you apparently."

I looked down at my feet with sorrow. "Oh. So, are you going to tell her that I'm here?"

"Yes."

My eyes started to burn as I fought back tears. "Oh…"

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

I took my left hand and wiped my tears away and sniffled before saying, "She probably knows about the man in my room. She'll get mad at me. She'll think I wasn't doing my job by mistreating the guests. She might punish me severely…"

I decided to give up on fighting the tears and just started crying. He was silent for a moment or two. "Perhaps if I were the one to tell her that he attacked you, she will not hold you at fault."

I looked up at him in shock. "Really? You'd do that for me?"

He took my hand gently. "Of course my dear." He closed his eyes and softly put his lips on my hand. I let out a deep breath of slight satisfaction. My body felt like it was on fire. As he looked up at me, I tried to puff my chest out more, if that was even possible.

He let go of my hand and started to walk to the door. I leapt out of the bed before he could go far.

"Sir- I mean, Finitevus."

He looked back at me.

I smiled. "Thank you."

He gave me a slight nod in return before he opened the door and walked out of the room. I sat back down on the bed, my mind racing. I closed my eyes, laid down and smiled to myself as I thought about him.

Chapter Five:

It took an hour or so before Finitevus returned. For me, that was way too long. To pass the time, I laid on my side and looked out the window. My blush kept getting darker the more and more I thought about him. I imagined to myself that he did actually love me. I imagined him holding me tight as he kissed me affectionately. I buried my face in my hands with slight embarrassment as I continued to have romantic visions of him and I together. I couldn't prevent a guilty smile crossing my face.

After what felt like forever, Finitevus came back, and I instantly shot up into a sitting position, trying to hide my blush and smile, shooing the pleasurable thoughts for the time being.

He told me about how Madam Espenil was going to let me stay with him for a few days longer. My heart pounded in my chest excitedly.

"Really? Oh, thank you so much, Finitevus!" I happily gave him a tight hug, my chest pressed against his. He cleared his throat ever so slightly. I took the hint and let go in embarrassment. I bowed slightly.

"F-Forgive me," I said in shame.

"I accept your apology," he replied.

He went back to whatever it was he always did. I watched him carefully from the bed. I watched a little bit closer than usual. My hands found themselves fiddling with my skirt.

"Um… Finitevus… Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Not at all my dear."

"Um… What are you doing, and why are you doing it?"

He put all of his stuff down before responding. "Have you seen the outside world?"

I shook my head sadly. "No. Only once."

"The outside world is broken. The people are incompetent. They have no ruler. They just do as they please, which only leads to destruction. The world needs to be purged with fire." He held up a few bombs in each hand, "That is why I have created these."

I stared at them expressionlessly. For whatever reason, I wasn't scared. I didn't suddenly think he was some kind of terrorist. As a matter of fact, what he said made sense. From what I had seen, he was right. The people outside were broken. I fidgeted with my skirt again.

"I've never seen the outside world. Well, I saw it when I saved you, but it wasn't for very long. I only saw it mainly when I was little. I didn't know anything about the world. My dad sold me here when I was 9. They saw how mature I was growing at such a young age. They made me a prostitute, whether I liked it or not. I've been stuck here for 5 years, and I've only taken a step outside once."

Silence followed shortly after. Neither of us spoke. Finitevus turned around and went back to working on his project.

"I should kill you," he said, "because you know too much."

I gasped in shock. Was he really going to kill me…?

"But I won't. You have been no part of the ugly world outside, and I am highly skeptical that you would actually go and tell others about my plan."

I let out a sigh of relief. "You can trust me, Finitevus. I promise."

"I know. Don't ask me how, but I know."

For the last few days that I got to spend with him, we said nothing more to each other. I settled with my pleasurable dreams as I slept. Something about what he had said was reassuring. He trusted me, just like I trusted him. On the day that I left, once the door closed behind me, my heart felt like it had been trapped inside that room for all eternity.

I went back to my normal job of dodging men all day long. The only thing that kept me sane was knowing that I still got to see Finitevus every day. I was still somewhat shy around him, but at least I knew that he didn't wish I would die inside a ditch. But whether or not he loved me… That was yet to be determined. Something about the way he acted towards me told me that he did, but maybe that was just me getting my hopes too high.

After a few days, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get to see him for longer than a minute ever again. That's why it was ironic when Madam Espenil came to my door.

"Come in," I said absentmindedly. I was yet again caught up in my thoughts about Finitevus.

"Phoebe," she said with monotone, "Dr. Finitevus has requested that you go to his room with the usual tea."

I sat straight up on the edge of my bed. "O-Ok," I said excitedly. He had asked for me… He had asked for me himself… I started to get up and walk out the door.

"Wait," she said. I looked back at her curiously.

"He made another request. He wants you to come and do the normal thing that guests usually request."

My body went completely stiff. I stared at her with desperate eyes, pleading for her to say that I didn't have to do it. But she said nothing. She just stared back at me, a hint of sympathy in her gaze.

"C-Can't you send someone else?" I asked urgently.

"Phoebe, dear, you know the Doctor now more than anyone. He does not seem to be one that would get drunk on a regular basis, and he specifically asked for you. He won't accept anyone else like the other guests do."

I didn't say anything else. I knew she was right. I stared down at the floor, tears threatening to make their appearance. I sniffled as I tried to fight them off. "O-Ok… I'll go there at once."

She placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "It'll be all right, Phoebe. From what I can tell, he cares for you very much. I'm sure he does not wish to hurt you."

I nodded in a silent agreement as a single tear escaped. "Thank you, Madam."

It took me an hour to mentally prepare myself and two more hours to physically ready myself. I drew out a white dress that I had never worn before. I groaned as I realized what a strenuous task it was going to be just to get it past my hips.

It took me at least a half hour just to get the stupid thing past my thighs. But that wasn't the toughest part. I almost wanted to cry when I barely got it over my breasts. It was already hard to breath as it was, but the moment I put the first tie on the bodice, I felt my lungs screaming in pain.

Once again, the only savior from the outfit was the skirt. But it was only half the hero I had originally thought it was. It just barely made it past my bikini line. If I bent over even a centimeter…

My woes only continued when I looked in the mirror. Almost my entire bosom was visible. Having no straps on the dress didn't help my case. I tried to pull up the fabric just a tad, but it was no use. I sighed as horrible thoughts raced through my mind. One wrong move and that puppy was going down.

I couldn't even attempt to bend over as I put on a higher pair of stupid stilettos. After the right one finally found its way onto my foot, I sat on the bed, still trying to prepare myself. I would have to be careful. The only person that needed to see me in that skimpy dress, or any skimpy dress at that, was Finitevus. Although I wanted to try to win him over in my regular dress, this one just took it way too far. But it was what I had to do. He had asked for me. Even though I didn't want to, I finally had to do it. Even if it was Finitevus I was doing it with, it still scared me.

As I thought about it more and more, the more realization struck. Finitevus didn't love me… If he did, he wouldn't force me to come to him and sleep with him now. He would've waited. I think… Would he…?

Whatever the case was, I still didn't like the idea. The more and more I tried to ready myself, the more it broke me down. I allowed myself to cry for a minute before hastily wiping the tears away and walking down the hall.

As I poured the tea into the cup, I saw how shaky I was. I could barely keep myself from spilling the hot liquid all over the floor. As I put the pot onto the tray, I heard footsteps coming up from behind me.

"Phoebe?"

I couldn't bring myself to turn around.

"Phoebe, what's going on?"

I played with my skirt as I bit my lip nervously. "U-Um…" I muttered, "Nothing…"

Alice walked up to me from behind. "Phoebe, come on, something's going on."

"It's nothing," I said, keeping my head down.

"Why are you wearing that dress?"

"It's nothing to worry about," I said hastily as I picked up the tray in my trembling hands. I whirled around and walked towards the door as fast as I could.

"Phoebe! Phoebe, wait! Don't tell me she's making you…"

I didn't say anything in return. I just walked down the hallway as fast as I could, my face burning hot.

As I stood at his threshold, I couldn't help but stare at the white door in fear. To think that I had once longed to see that door again, to open it and go inside, ready for what it had in store for me there. But now, it was a shadow, looming over my wobbly figure, gnawing its way towards me, desperate to envelop me in its dark contents.

I forced myself to try and take a deep breath, although it ended up being no breath at all. I felt my knees shaking violently as I knocked on the treacherous wood.

"Come in."

I dared to take one hand away from the security of the tray handle to turn the gold knob. I tried to cover myself with the door slightly as I timidly shuffled inside. I somewhat quickly closed the door shut, ready to get it over with. I avoided his eyes as they stared right at me.

"U-Um…" I said, my cheeks burning with nerves, "I've come as you requested, sir."

I forced myself not to pass out as he examined my entire body at least three times. I tried to pull the dress up in one last desperate attempt, but my struggles still went unrewarded. I put the tray down on the table and tried to hide my quivering hands by folding them in front of me.

Even though I was staring at the floor, I caught a glimpse of the lustful smile spreading across his face as he took his stuff off. I tried not to fall to the ground on my knees and beg for him not to do it. He walked across the floor and came up behind me. It was hard not to gasp as he firmly wrapped his hands around my hips, his body pressed against me from behind. I felt his mouth brush my ear ever so slightly.

"My beautiful girl," he whispered, "why is it that you tremble under my touch?"

I didn't dare to move. I took shorter, quicker breaths, the room starting to spin. His right hand rose up and teased my breast while his left hand gripped my left hip tighter. I felt the goose bumps coming back, sweat breaking out on my forehead.

"You're a prostitute, correct?" he asked.

All I could do was nod.

"Then why do you seem so afraid to do it?"

"I-I…" I whimpered, my eyes watering.

His head tilted down as his lips brushed my neck. It was even harder to stand now.

"Please don't do it…" I whimpered under my breath, "Please don't do it…"

After a few moments, his lips had still not pressed onto my skin completely. I suddenly became very confused. Why hadn't he done anything else?

His lips continued to brush my skin as he asked, "You don't wish to do this, do you?"

I suddenly became aware of the steady flow of tears on my cheeks. I choked them back as I nodded.

"But why? Is it not your job to sleep with men?"

I swallowed hard. "Because… Because I'm a virgin."

He took his body away from me as he asked, "How did you avoid such a thing for 5 years?"

I didn't want to look at him, but I was in such a daze. What was going on? I sniffled. "It's… It's not hard. Most of the men that see me ask for me because I'm so young, and my chest is bigger than most of the girls. But they're so drunk, all I have to do is have one of the other girls go, and they can't tell the difference. I don't want to have to sleep with a bunch of different men that are 20 or 30 years older than me. I want to find the right person. So I was able to dodge it all these years. The other day, I thought that guy was going to force me to do it. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be the same."

"I figured," he replied, ""Since the moment I first saw you, I knew you weren't like the others. The other women are more than happy undressing for any man that comes in the door, but you refuse to do it for anyone, even though you are far more attractive than the other girls."

I nodded. "Yeah. That's why they make fun of me. They envy me because I get a lot more attention than they do. Madam Espenil always defends me. She's been like a mother to me ever since I first came here. She understands that I don't want to be here. The other girls don't like that. They think I shouldn't get so much attention if I don't even want to be a prostitute."

I felt his index finger touch my chin as he turned my face towards him. I forced myself to look into his eyes. He put both of his bandaged hands on my damp cheeks.

"Aphrodite, I care about you deeply. You are the only woman I have ever felt intimate towards. I would never hurt you in any way. If I may ask, do you feel the same way?"

I gazed into those eyes… Those caring, mysterious, wonderful eyes… I stared at him lovingly. "Finitevus…" The air felt so much lighter. I put my dizzy head into his warm chest just like I used to.

"Thank you…" I whispered, "Thank you… And yes, I do love you."

His hands wrapped around me and caressed my back gently. After a few moments of standing in his arms, I felt my chin tilt up towards him again with his finger. He leaned in and broke the space between our lips, and I swear, I melted right into the floor.


	3. Chapter 6, 7 and 8

Chapter Six:

I felt a deep sense of euphoria inside of me as we continued to kiss. At first, I wasn't exactly sure of what to do, but after a minute, I had adapted to the sensation of it all. I knew that this was it… This was the time when I wouldn't get any older…

It was something that Madam Espenil had originally told me. She had only mentioned it once. She said that when once you feel nothing but a deep sense of happiness inside of you, then you stopped aging. She didn't tell me any reasoning behind it, just that she had stopped aging when she gave birth to her daughter. Nothing more was said on the topic, so I just decided not to bring it up.

Anyways, as I became surer of what I was doing, the more and more I enjoyed it. The feel of his lips, the loving way he held me close to him…

I pulled back ever so slightly just to catch a quick breather. I opened my eyes and looked into his. "Finitevus… I love you…" I whispered. I pressed my chest against his before slowly re-entering the moment. He leaned into me as we kissed again.

But, to my disappointment, it all ended a minute or two later. I looked up at him pleadingly. He gently put a hand on my face.

"Aphrodite," he said, "I cherish your presence any time you are near. I always long to see you each day. Will you work with me on my plan, so that we may be together longer, perhaps even permanently?"

"Finitevus…" I stared into those mysterious eyes. Should I agree to it? I mean, he was planning to hurt innocent people… Then, my mind flashed back to those streets. Those men that had whistled at me... Lloyd, who had tried to rape me... Those were the people out in the world. I decided that no one was innocent.

I smiled up at my new boyfriend. "Yes Finitevus. I will help you with whatever you need." I hugged him tighter as I put my head in his chest. "I want to be with you forever, no matter what the cost."

He put his arms around me and gently rubbed my back.

A few minutes later, I decided to leave him for the day. I promised him that I would come back the next day and sealed it with a kiss.

Once I got to my room and changed back into my normal dress, I heard a knock on my door. I slowly opened it to find an anxious and worried Alice standing there. The second the door was completely open, she threw her arms around me.

"Oh my gosh! Phoebe, I was so worried!" she cried, tears running down her face. I slowly attempted to hug her back.

After a minute, she finally released me from her choke-hold. She shut the door quickly before yanking me by the hand towards the bed. She sat me down beside her.

"Phoebe, what happened?" she asked frantically, tears still floating in her eyes, "Did you… you know… do it…?"

I thought for a few moments. I didn't know what to say… Should I tell her that I didn't end up doing it? Should I tell her about Finitevus and I? But then I remembered… It was against the rules to be in a relationship with a man when you're a prostitute… I couldn't confess to her… And besides, Madam Espenil thought that I was going to sleep with him. So, I guess that was the story I decided to stick to.

I sighed. "Yes. I did do it."

Alice clasped one hand on her mouth as she gasped, her eyes wide in shock. She slowly took her hand away slightly and shook her head as she uttered, "Oh Phoebe, no…"

I sadly looked down at my skirt. I was telling a lie… But it was a lie that I wanted to be true.

"Who did you do it with?" Alice asked determinedly.

I couldn't even dare to look her in the eye as I muttered, "Finitevus."

Alice gasped again. Another tear escaped her eyes as she pulled me into another embrace. I felt a tear fall from my eye too. She tried to reassure me that it was all right, that everything was going to be ok. I knew that it was going to be ok. Finitevus had admitted his love for me. We had passionately kissed. He had made me happier than I had ever been in my entire life. I knew that nothing was wrong, but Alice didn't. I wanted to keep it that way, so I decided to hold out the lie when she asked me about how it felt. A few tears found their way out of my eyes, but they were actually real, not fake. I wasn't really sure why I was crying…

Alice comforted me for at least a half hour before she even attempted to leave. As she walked out the door, I felt kind of guilty. I didn't want to lie to my best friend, but I had to. It was the only way that Finitevus and I could stay together.

Just when I thought I was going to be left alone for the night, Madam Espenil came to my room. I cursed under my breath as I turned and bowed to her.

"Madam," I addressed her politely.

"Ah, Phoebe, I was hoping you would be here," she said.

_Oh no…_ "O-Oh…" I said, trying to sound at least somewhat surprised.

"Yes. I want to talk to you about your appointment with Finitevus."

I couldn't help but swallow hard. I was going to have to lie to her too…

I followed her back to her room, my head down. As we walked inside, I ran through the conversation in my head a million times. She invited me to sit down at a small table with her to have tea. I played with my skirt under the furnished wood, not even laying a finger on the steaming cup in front of me.

"So, tell me Phoebe," the Madam asked as she held her cup up, "How was your first time?"

"W-Well…" I found myself freezing up. Why couldn't I just repeat what I had told Alice? "I-It was strange at first, but after the initial shock of it, I grew accustomed to it."

"Did you enjoy it?"

I offered a slight nod as a response.

She sipped her tea silently. I didn't know what to say, so I just decided to stay silent. After ten uncomfortable minutes, it looked like there was no more to say, so Madam Espenil excused me without another word. I was a little baffled at the strange end to the meeting. I walked as fast as I could without tripping straight to my room. The moment I was in the door, I kicked my shoes off, ripped my dress off and fell right into the bed. It was rare for me to ever take the effort to squeeze into a skimpy night dress. I usually just stayed in my underwear or slept naked. I pulled the covers over myself as I started to drift off and dream about my boyfriend.

As soon as I woke up in the morning, I got dressed and rushed over to Finitevus's room. I was glad that he was awake too. I don't know if I could've lasted another minute without him. The first thing I told him was about what everyone was asking me regarding my first "taste of another man." I had been asked about three times in the hallway that day, but I didn't bother to answer.

When I told him about my meeting with Madam Espenil and Alice, he asked, "And what did you tell them?"

I shrugged. "Just that it felt weird at first, but good later on. I acted like we had actually done it, even though we didn't. But maybe…" I felt my face burn bright red as I avoided his gaze, a smile slowly appearing from my lips, "Maybe we could do it for real some time."

"Perhaps," was all he said in return. I couldn't read his expression very well. Did he want to sleep with me?

There was a bit of silence, so I decided to break it by asking him how I could help him with his plan. He looked up at the ceiling, his eyes distant.

"Ask Madam Espenil if she has the materials I need. I seem to be running low, and will need several more of these things to continue making the bombs. If not, then I hope you do not mind going out and getting them for me."

My heart stopped mid-beat. My eyes widened at him, my hands trembling as they gripped my skirt. "G-Go outside? Really? I mean, I know I went out there when I found you, but that was only for a few minutes."

He stared back at me. "I know that you may not wish to go back out there, but you are the only one I trust to get me what I require."

I found myself struggling to keep control of myself. "But… But I… I mean… They'll whistle at me, try to touch me… Maybe even take my dress off… Please, don't make me go out there!"

I rushed forward and allowed his arms to wrap around me. I couldn't stop the steady stream of tears that were running down my cheeks. "Please… I don't want to go out there again… It was hard enough being out there for only a few minutes, but for longer…" I whimpered. He rubbed my back soothingly.

"My dear, I promise you, if anything bad happens, then I will make sure the person who harms you pays. But I cannot go out there with you."

I jerked my head up towards him. "W-Why not?!"

He took a moment before answering. "I'm sorry, my love, but I cannot tell you."

I moaned in sorrow, the tears becoming heavier. I put my head back in his warm chest. "I-I don't want to go alone…"

"You may not have to. If the Madam has what we need, then you will not have to leave at all."

"What _we_ need?" I looked up at him in shock. He already considered me as his partner? I looked back into his chest, my head swimming with affection. He took one hand and wiped away my tears while his other hand was pressed strongly around my hip.

He gave me a slightly seductive smile. "If you do, I may give you a reward."

My eyes sparkled up at him. "A reward?" I couldn't help another blush crossing my face. After a second, I gently put my lips against his, enjoying the sweet sensation of it again. I smiled, my face close to his. "I'll go get what you need. Just tell me what it is…" _Kiss _"And then I'll come back for more of this."

He quickly wrote up a mid-sized list of materials that he needed. It seemed like a bit much to me, but I decided that I didn't care. I couldn't stop thinking about what he was going to give me for helping him. I swiftly walked away, forcing myself not to screech with excitement.

Chapter Seven:

At first, I thought the whole thing would be no big deal. I mean, how hard could it be to find all of the things that he needed? Unfortunately for me, there were a few problems right off the bat:

First of all, a lot of the things Finitevus needed were things that you would only find at a medical facility, so, of course, if Finitevus didn't have it, then no one in the mansion would.

Second, everyone in the mansion had to ask Madam Espenil before they could go anywhere. As you can imagine, when I asked her to leave, she asked me what for, and when I told her I needed to get some things, she started to get suspicious. When I told her it was for Finitevus, she got even more suspicious. She started asking me what he needed and that's when I started to sweat. Luckily for me, most of the stuff he needed was stuff that you would expect to find in a medical facility. I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when the interrogation was over.

I stepped outside for the second time in my life, taking slow, heavy steps as I walked. I stopped at the gates of the mansion. I turned around and looked back up at the large manor. Maybe I could go back and say that I couldn't find any of the things he needed… Maybe he would understand… But he had promised me a reward…

I smiled to myself, my cheeks burning. I turned back around, slipped through the gates, and strode onto the streets.

About ten steps later, I was forcing myself not to just turn around and sprint back to the mansion. Every man's head had already turned in my direction. I kept my head down, trying not to focus on where their eyes were looking. I rushed into one of the shops, got what I needed and rushed out.

At first, I thought that I wouldn't come into contact with any men up close. Unfortunately for me, this wasn't the case. A few minutes after I had left the shop, a man bumped into me head on, right into my chest. I stumbled back a few steps as I gasped. I looked back at the man as he kept walking down the road. He turned around only for a moment to say, "Sorry, it was an accident." I caught the grin that crossed his face as he turned back around.

Men on the sidewalks started to whistle at me shortly after. I sighed, ready to be back at the mansion. Just when I thought that would be the end of it, a man grabbed my arm from behind. My head snapped towards him as he started to pull me away into a nearby alley.

"Hey! Let me go!" I screamed. This guy had to be at least twice my height and 10 times stronger than me. I started struggling nonetheless. He pinned me to the ground and pulled out a knife. A slight clattering sound came from the other side of the alley. His grip loosened and his head looked up. In the split second opportunity that I had, I kneed him in the groin as hard as I could. He yelled out in pain and rolled off of me. I shot up onto my feet and sprinted out of the alley, never daring to look back.

I went straight to Finitevus's room after returning to the mansion. I limped slightly as my knees continued to ache. I had clumsily fallen in the street after trying to sprint back to the gates and skinned my knees in the process. A few tears found themselves running down my face as I continued to pant with exhaustion. After I had entered his room, I immediately dropped the bags onto the floor and collapsed onto the bed. I ripped the stupid stilettos off of my feet and rubbed my aching heels. Finitevus walked up to me and knelt in front of my knees.

"My love, what has happened to you?"

I cringed in pain slightly as he touched my skid marks. I sniffled to keep myself from crying too hard. "I-I had to go outside to get what you asked for. Madam Espenil permitted me to, but I didn't have any other clothes to wear, so I wore the outfit I usually wear. The men out in the village whistled at me. A few of them even bumped into my chest 'on accident'. One man grabbed my arm and tried to pull me into an alley, but I was able to slip away when he was distracted. I tried to run away, but I can't run very well in those stupid shoes, so I tripped and fell. That's how I got those scrapes."

His shook his head, his expression full of scorn. "It's just like those mongrels to only get entertained by a woman's bosom. That's the only thing they see. All else doesn't matter. As long as they get pleasure from young girls."

I looked at him in shock. "But Finitevus, you love me, and you're older than I am."

"But have I once ever tried to force you into bed with me? Have I once even asked you to undress in front of me? Have I once struck you into submission? Have I once taken pleasure in simply staring at your body?"

I shook my head in response.

"Loving a woman and simply using a woman's body for pleasure are two different things. I love you, Aphrodite. Those men just want you for their own entertainment. I admire you for who you are, not just your physique."

I stared at him lovingly. "Finitevus…"

While he patched up my knees, I played with my skirt. I couldn't help but feel more attracted to him after what he had said. He stood up after finishing with my Band-Aids. I felt my cheeks starting to burn again.

"What about that reward you promised me?"

"Do you really want it now?"

I nodded timidly. "Yes."

He smiled. "As you wish."

He leaned towards me as we closed our eyes. At first, we gently put our lips together, maybe so that we could get used to the sensation again. But a second later, he kissed me harder. I put my hands onto his chest lightly. His hand gently touched my leg and traveled it up my thigh and into my skirt. I started to breathe deeper, letting out a moan of satisfaction. At first it was slightly uncomfortable, but after a few moments, I started to deeply enjoy it. I adored each and every moment of our time together as he continued to kiss me intensely.

Chapter Eight:

I unwillingly left him a few minutes later. I knew that Madam Espenil would hate it if I snuck into my room too late at night. Before I left, I made sure to tell Finitevus that I wanted to see him again the next day so that we could continue undisturbed. He told me that that was ok. Once again, I couldn't read his expression very well. For some reason, his mysterious responses to everything only turned me on more.

I went straight to my room and undressed before bed. It was only until I was already asleep did I remember that I hadn't talked to Alice that day…

I woke up and instantly got dressed. I was eager to see my boyfriend again. I wanted more than anything to continue what we had started. When I saw what time it was, my hopes dropped slightly. He might not be awake…

I went to his room nonetheless. I knocked on the door nervously. For several seconds, there was no reply. My hopes dropped even lower. He wasn't awake…

"Finitevus? Finitevus, are you ok?"

A few seconds later, "The door's open."

I carefully opened the door. "Finitevus?"

I was relieved to see that he was sitting up in his bed. He was mysteriously staring out the window for some reason…

I took a few steps into the room, closing the door behind me. "Finitevus, what's wrong?"

No answer. I started to panic slightly.

"Finitevus? Finitevus, please, answer me!" I rushed to his bedside and sat down beside him, my hands on his arm nervously.

After a few more seconds of silence, he said, "Aphrodite."

"Yes?"

"Have you stopped the aging process yet?"

My hands retreated slightly, barely touching his fur. "Y-Yes…"

"When did it end?"

I paused for a second, staring at him uncertainly. "When we had our first kiss."

He said nothing after that.

"Finitevus… Please tell me what's wrong."

"…"

I wrapped my arms around his waist as I placed my head on his shoulder. "Finitevus, is this about when you stopped aging?"

Still nothing. I was really concerned now… There was no way he was all right…

"You can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"…Do you really wish to know when I stopped aging?"

I nodded. He paused for a moment before securely answering, "When I watched Albion burn to the ground."


	4. Chapter 9, 10 and 11

Chapter Nine:

My arms started to feel numb around his hips. I didn't exactly know what he meant by what he had said, but I had a pretty good feeling that it wasn't something pleasant… He just kept staring at the window, not even attempting to follow-up his statement.

"What… What do you mean?"

"Do you know why people stop aging?" he asked.

"Yes. When people feel nothing but pure happiness, they stop aging."

"Yes. And do you know why that happens?"

"No… Why?" Why was he asking me this…?

"When the mind feels nothing but pure joy, it feels no need to get any more mature. The brain is stronger than most people realize. It can make a woman believe that she is with child. It can make someone gain more strength than their body believes possible. Its strength even causes most people to stop their aging process. It feels as though it has found the place where it will have no trouble."

"So… When you said that you stopped aging when you watched Albion burn to the ground… Did you mean…"

"Albion is the place I was born and lived for a long portion of my life. Something happened to me, though, and caused me to become like this."

"So… you were different before?"

"Yes. I looked and acted like most other echidnas. But after a very complicated situation, I was burned from extreme chaos energy and became like this. I had a massive reconciliation after that. The council of Albion voted to have me executed. I created several warp rings and escaped. Afterwards, I came back and disabled the security system, allowing Robotnik's forces to come in and destroy the city. I watched the entire event. That was when I ceased to age."

By this point, my whole body felt numb. I didn't know what to say… I didn't know what to think… I wanted to let him go and run as far away from that room as possible, come back the next day and act like it was just a bad dream. But there was no way I could. I could never look at him the same way again.

But I loved him so much… Despite the fact that he liked watching a city being destroyed, I still couldn't ignore that burning desire I had for him. I looked at his back uncertainly. Maybe he was more dangerous than I thought…

But he said he loved me. He hadn't raped me or threatened to kill me at all. Maybe I was the one exception to his hatred of society.

_Dang it, what should I do?! _I didn't have much time to decide… I knew I would have to go with my gut.

"Finitevus…"

His shoulders drooped slightly. He seemed upset… I looked at him sadly. I smiled slightly to myself. I knew just how to comfort him…

I wrapped my arms around his hips tighter and pressed my chest against his side. He looked down at me in shock. I smiled at him.

"Finitevus," I continued, "It's ok. No matter what you've done in the past, that doesn't change anything. I still love you. You have different opinions than other people, but you just want to save this planet. I understand that."

I put my head on his shoulder as my eyelids fluttered shut. "I love you, Finitevus. Thank you for telling me about that. And I don't think you're a cruel person, just so you know. I think you're a wonderful person. I know what you were trying to tell me when you said that you were happiest when you watched a city fall, but I don't think of you any differently."

He took one bandaged hand and rubbed the back of my head affectionately. "Aphrodite, do you fear me now that I have told you many things about me, such as the things I did and plan to do?"

I shook my head vigorously and looked up at him in surprise. "Of course not! I'm not scared of you at all! I want to be with you all the time, no matter what."

I wrapped my body around his arm, clutching to him tightly on the mattress. I felt his warm arms envelop my hips. His calm and firm lips subtly meet the skin of my neck. My lungs tensed as I tried not to moan too loud. I couldn't help a slight one from escaping my throat. My sensitive skin twitched slightly from his touch. I put my hands on his chest to keep myself steady.

After a little while, he slowly took his lips away from me, but his arms still kept me close to him. I felt our hearts beating fast together. I looked into those mysterious, attractive eyes. Oh my gosh, those eyes… I don't know what it was, but all it took was my eyes meeting his, and a little bit of a smile from him, and my knees would go weak. My face burned as I struggled not to bombard him with a million kisses. I gave him a smile.

"Can we… Can we continue where we left off yesterday?" I asked timidly but also pleadingly. He gave me that heart-stopping smile.

"Of course, my dear." He started another soft kiss between us. His hand put itself on my leg. My arms wrapped around his body as I leaned into him. His fingers slipped up my skin and into my skirt. I let his hand do whatever it wanted while our lips refused to come apart.

Chapter Ten:

After several minutes of doing this, we finally broke apart, our needs satisfied for the time being. While I straightened out my skirt, Finitevus got dressed. Once he was done, I smiled and kissed him one last time before I left, my cheeks blushing madly.

As I walked back down the hallway, I was barely even paying attention to what or who was around me. I just smiled to myself as I looked down at the floor and walked on, my mind having daydreams about Finitevus.

I swore I heard someone say my name, but I couldn't be sure who…

"Phoebe?"

I finally stopped, my head snapping out of its fantasies. I turned around and saw Alice standing there, puzzled.

"Huh? Oh, is there something you need Alice?" I asked hastily.

"You walked right past me…" she said in confusion.

"Oh… Sorry, I was just…"

"Phoebe, why haven't you been talking to me?"

I didn't answer. I looked down at my feet as I played with my skirt.

"I-I was…"

"You were what?" she asked, taking one step closer to me.

"I was… Seeing a guest…"

"Phoebe, you never talk to the guests, unless they approach you."

I had no response to this.

"What… By a guest, do you mean…?"

"I-I have to go," I said hurriedly as I started to walk quickly down the hall. I couldn't see her expression, but I could tell that Alice knew where I had been. She didn't even attempt to catch up to me.

I collapsed onto my bed as I chucked my stupid stilettos across the room. I gave a long, heavy sigh as I stared up at the ceiling. I started my daydreams about Finitevus again as I closed my eyes.

So much time passed… Even though I didn't fall asleep, thinking about Finitevus passed the time. I opened my eyes again, remembering Alice's hurt expression as I mentioned that I had been with someone. Maybe she had figured it out… Maybe she knew that I was with Finitevus.

I sat up and squeezed my feet into the stupid stilettos, my mind made up. I would talk to Alice and confess everything to her. I would tell her about Finitevus and me. I would make everything right between us…

But just as I was about to walk out the door, I practically ran right into two other prostitutes; Asmodeus and Danielle. I cursed under my breath as I stood in the doorway.

"Heeey Phoebe!" Asmodeus said cheerily.

"What's going on, cautious tits?" Danielle said with a grin. Everyone called me that, except for Alice and the other maids. Danielle had started it when she first found out that I wasn't exactly prostitute material.

"Oh… Hey…" There were so many things I wanted to say to them other than that…

"Sooo, has little Miss Virginia finally shown a man her sexy side?" Asmodeus asked. That was another nickname they had for me; Virginia. I think you can figure out why.

I knew why they were there after she said that. "Look, I really don't want to talk about that," I said, keeping my eyes down, sudden sorrow coming over me.

"Too bad, we won't leave until you tell us about it, so you might as well cough it up now." Right after saying this, Danielle walked in and dragged me by the arm back into the room and sat me on the bed. Danielle sat on my left side while Asmodeus sat on my right side. I knew what was coming. I played with my skirt nervously, my cheeks darkening.

"So, Phoebe, come on, tell us! Is what everyone's saying true? Did you actually do it for the first time?" Danielle asked.

"I… um… Well, I…" I couldn't find myself to repeat the usual story.

"Come on, Phoebe, you can tell us! It's ok! Y'know, everyone else knows about it, but most of them didn't hear it from you. They heard it from somebody else. So we need to hear it for ourselves! So, did you do it? Did you have…?" Asmodeus asked eagerly. I hated how they talked to me like we were best friends or something.

I waited a few seconds before finally sighing and saying, "Y-Yes… I did do… you know what…"

They both screamed at the top of their lungs and grabbed my arms in excitement. They both bounced up and down on the bed, causing me to bounce as well.

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" Asmodeus shrieked.

"What was it like, Phoebe, tell us!" Danielle said.

"Um… Well… It kind of…" I replied, rattled.

They finally stopped bouncing, but still constricted my arms with their hands.

"What's wrong Phoebe? We're prostitutes! It's not like sleeping with a guy when you're as young as you are is unusual!" Asmodeus declared. I had no comment to that.

"Well… I'm not _hiding _anything… I'm just…"

"Are you embarrassed about it?" Danielle asked determinedly, "Did it hurt? I bet it hurt didn't it?"

"N-No! It didn't hurt, it just felt… weird…" If I was going to lie, I would make myself sound tough, not weak and scared.

Asmodeus nodded in agreement. "I remember the first time I sold love to another man. It did feel weird, and it even scared me a little. But now it feels fine."

"Yeah, Phoebe, everyone has to do it _sometime_! You may not be ready for it when it happens, but at least you get it over with, right?" Danielle said.

"Yeah… I guess…" I instantly thought of Finitevus again. I wanted to do it with him so badly…

"Was he impressed with your tits?" Asmodeus asked, a sick grin on her face.

My face grew darker, my eyes wide as I stared at her. "A-Asmodeus!"

She shrugged. "It's a fair question."

"Did you like it at all?" Danielle asked.

"D-Danielle…" I said shyly.

Asmodeus let out a frustrated sigh. "Phoebe, what are you hiding? Why won't you tell us everything about it?"

"I-I… I mean… I don't know…" I replied.

Danielle gasped, putting one hand over her mouth, her eyes widening. "I think I know what's wrong…"

Asmodeus looked at her inquisitively. "What is it?"

Danielle looked at me, carefully taking her hand away from her mouth. "You love the guy you did it with, don't you?"

Asmodeus gasped too, her hands gripping me tighter. "Seriously!? You've fallen in love with a guy!?"

I shook my head frantically. "No! It's not what you think! I don't-…"

They were staring at me like I was a stranger. I knew it was no use to do anything. The secret was already out.

"Phoebe, it's forbidden for a prostitute to fall in love with one of the guests!" Asmodeus said.

"Oh man… Wait until Madam Espenil finds out about this…" Danielle said.

"N-No, please don't tell her!" I cried, desperate tears running out of my eyes.

"Sorry, Phoebe, rules are rules, we have to tell her!"

In a split second, they had both let me go and ran out the door and out of sight, leaving me on the bed all by myself. I couldn't stop the steady flow of tears dripping from my eyes and into my lap. I sobbed to myself, knowing what the punishment was for loving a guest. I would never see Finitevus again…

Ironically, I heard slight footsteps coming into the room. I looked up into the steady eyes of my boyfriend.

"F-Finitevus…" I managed to mutter.

He sat beside me on the bed and hugged me lovingly while I cried. He let me cry for as long as I needed to before I spoke.

I managed to maintain my sobs as I said into his chest, "Th-They know! They know about you and I! They know that-…"

"Shh… I know, my dear, I heard the whole thing…"

I continued to cry into the white fur of his warm chest. He kissed the top of my head lightly.

"Everything will be all right, my love, don't fret about it."

"B-But when Madam Espenil finds out, she'll kick you out, and we'll be separated!" I cried as I looked up at him.

He looked affectionately into my eyes. "If I am forbidden to stay here, then I shall bring you with me. If you are released, then I shall follow you and be with you. We will not be separated, my dear, you have my word."

"Finitevus…" I put my face back in his chest as I continued to cry. I was happy that he was there for me, if he didn't say anything the whole time. Just holding me close was enough for me to know that he cared about me.

Chapter Eleven:

He stayed with me for what felt like forever. He continued to hold me in the firm but loving grasp of his arms. I kept my head rested in his chest as I held onto him. He rubbed my back comfortingly.

We hadn't spoken to each other since Finitevus had promised that he would always stay with me. I had had a burning question I wanted to ask him, and I figured that now was the time. I wanted to know if he had the same feelings I did.

"F-Finitevus… Have you thought about where our relationship will go?"

There were a few moments of silence. "Of course, my love, I have thought about it many times."

"Have you thought about… making love to me?" I asked, my eyes turning up towards his.

Another pause. "Yes, I have thought about it many times."

"Do you think… do you think we should?"

I waited anxiously for his response. After a few more seconds, he replied, "If it is what you desire, then yes."

"But what do _you _want?"

"Yes, I would like to go to bed with you. But only if you are ready."

Relief and excitement filled me up inside as I smiled and nodded. "Ok. I don't know if I'm ready just yet, but even if I was, I wouldn't want to do it right now."

He smiled back at me. "Yes, now wouldn't be an appropriate time."

I laughed gently, trying to stop the tears still coming out of my eyes. I put my head back into his chest, smiling to myself. He went back to caressing my back as the deep sense of dread inside of me masked over my joy. I knew that once Madam Espenil arrived, my whole world would be turned upside down. But until that time came, I enjoyed every moment I got with the love of my life.

Moonlight was streaming through my window now and onto the floor, casting the shadow of me and Finitevus as he continued to hold me. For some reason, Madam Espenil hadn't shown up. Maybe Asmodeus and Danielle hadn't talked to her yet… I suddenly realized how tired I was as I let out a small yawn.

"I'm tired…" I whispered.

He smiled. "Then perhaps I should leave you for the night."

"No!" I said urgently and pleadingly as I shook my head in his fur. He let out a soft laugh.

"Then you wish for me to stay?"

"Mm hm," I said as I nodded, my eyes glued shut from sloth.

"If that is what you wish."

He took one hand and slid the stupid stilettos off of my feet. He put my exhausted body onto the bed, pulling the sheets and comforter over me.

I let myself get pulled into my fatigue, welcoming the warmth of the bed sheets on me. I yawned again as I slowly started to drift off…

After a minute or two, I opened one eye and saw Finitevus still standing at my bedside, staring out the window. Baffled, I sat up and looked at him.

"Aren't you coming too?" I asked.

He gave me a hesitant look.

I snickered at his uncertainty. I thought it was cute how he didn't get the hint. "You know… Aren't you going to sleep with me? I mean, not like _that _but, just sleeping in the same bed."

He smiled down at me. "Is that what you desire?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Yep."

"And why is it that you want that?"

"I'm cold," I said jokingly.

"Then perhaps you should have changed into a night gown," he slyly said back.

Another yawn escaped my mouth. "I'm too tired…"

He undressed as I laid back down. He lifted the covers and came under them with me and laid down next to me. I wrapped my arms around his hips, loving being that close to him.

He moved my hair out of my face. I opened my eyes halfway and looked into his eyes through the dark. He closed his eyes and lightly kissed my forehead. I felt more in love with him every second… I put one leg on top of his in a romantic gesture. As soon as his lips left my skin, I rejoined them with my own. He took one hand and touched my hip. I repositioned my arms around his neck as we sustained our heavenly kissing. I felt his hand glide down my thigh. I couldn't help but let out a sigh, the skin on my leg jumping from the unfamiliar yet exciting touch as we continued to kiss. Suddenly, his lips moved away from mine. We both opened our eyes halfway and smiled at each other. I could tell what he was thinking.

"I'm ticklish," I explained.

He laughed softly again before starting the kissing again.

After a long period of time, I reset my hands onto his chest, unable to stop another yawn from coming out. I was too tired to remove my leg from his… Actually, I didn't want to.

"Good night, Finitevus," I whispered, as I dozed off into his chest. As sleep enveloped around my mind and body, I could feel Finitevus's caring arms wrap around me again.


	5. Chapter 12, 13 and 14

Chapter Twelve:

I slowly opened my sleepy eyes. I noticed that Finitevus wasn't lying next to me anymore. I looked up at him as he sat next to me. He smiled down at me. I smiled back.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Good morning," I said back.

He lied down next to me, softly putting his lips onto mine. I closed my eyes and put my hands gently on his face. Moments later, we had our arms wrapped around each other. I felt like I was going to fall asleep again as I lied there close to him…

"Aphrodite," Finitevus said.

"Hm?"

"Who were those girls with you yesterday?"

"Oh… You mean Asmodeus and Danielle?"

"Yes."

I sighed. "Well, since you know their names, you probably know that they're prostitutes here too."

"Yes. But are they comrades of yours?"

"Like, friends?" I asked as I opened my eyes again.

He opened his eyes and looked at me, nodding.

I took a second before answering. "I mean… sort of. They're friendlier to me than most of the girls here, but I wouldn't say we're _friends…"_

"I see…"

There was a small break of silence after that. I put my head down closer to his chest, but I didn't close my eyes again. I just wanted to stay there, wrapped in the protection of his arms and never leave that room again without him. I was almost certain that we would never leave each other again.

"Do you wish for me to stay here until Madam Espenil comes?" he asked.

"No… I mean, I _want _you to stay, but if Madam Espenil sees you, then she'll definitely know that we're in love."'

"Of course."

"But… could you please stay until she does come? And once she does, then you can use a warp ring to get out of here."

"If that is what you desire."

I couldn't help but giggle. "I love the way you talk…"

"How is that?"

"I don't know… Really… properly…"

He gave me that smile again… The smile that I loved… "Properly?"

"Yeah, like, you know, without slang or anything." I blushed as I stared back into his warm chest. "It makes you more… Attractive…"

"Is that so?"

"Mm hm…" I closed my eyes again, leaning forward to begin another kiss between us.

But for some reason, when my lips touched his, he didn't give the kiss back at all. Instead, he pulled away from it. I instantly opened my eyes and stared at him in shock.

"Finitevus…?"

His eyes moved away from mine. They stared out the window in this kind of darkening haze…

I moved myself back slightly. "Finitevus…?"

He continued to stare out the window, his eyes continuing to get darker. I don't know exactly what was causing him to suddenly change, but… It was a rather sinister change that made no sense to me.

"F-Finitevus…"

He sat up and stared down at his hands, his back facing me. "Why…?" he asked in a somewhat dark tone, "Why do you love me?"

I sat up next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Finitevus, what's wrong?" I asked gently.

"Answer me," he said shortly, still not looking me in the eye.

I pulled my hand back in fear. "I-I don't know… because you've been kinder to me than any guest has ever been."

"Is that all?"

"N-No… You're attractive… And smart…"

There was another minute of silence. I had no idea what he was going to say. This wasn't the Finitevus I knew… This must've been his dark side… The side I had never seen…

After several nail-biting moments, he replied, "You're lying to me…"

Now was the time when I really got scared. "Wh-What…?"

He turned his eyes towards me, that dark stare piercing into my eyes. I felt myself shake ever so slightly.

"Is it really true that you love me? Or perhaps the only reason you're appealing to me is so that you can escape this place."

My eyes started to burn. "F-Finitevus…"

"Answer me."

"O-Of course not!" I cried, "I'm not pretending to love you so that I can get out of here! I really do love you! Please, believe me! I love you!"

As tears started to stream down my face, I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his back. I wanted the old Finitevus back… the one that didn't doubt me or question my feelings for him… I just wanted him to love me for the rest of my life... I didn't care about his past or his near future… I just wanted him, not his dark side… I just wanted him back…

I sniffled as I waited for him to say something.

"Aphrodite…"

"Y-Yes?" I said hopefully as I pulled my face out of his back.

"I need some time to think…" he said, "I need to be apart from you for a little while."

"H-How long?" I asked desperately, my voice shaking.

"Perhaps a few days… A week, at most…"

"A-A week?!" I shrieked.

He nodded.

"B-But… Finitevus, why?"

"I need to think about some things, alone."

I let go of him, the tears coming out harder. I sniffled as I tried to keep my head low. I didn't want him to go… He was one of only three people that I could truly rely on, confide in… I was pretty sure that soon he would only be one of two, which made him leaving even more unbearable.

His took his right index finger and put it under my chin. He gently tilted my head up towards him. I looked at him with melancholy.

"I love you, Aphrodite," he said gently, "But I need time to think things through. Please, allow me to have that time. Then, I swear, I will come back to you, and we will perhaps take things a little bit farther."

He seemed to be the old Finitevus again… I felt a small bit of relief because of that. But I still couldn't ward off the depression in my heart. I sniffled and nodded.

"I-It's ok. B-But please believe me when I say this. I love you, Finitevus, more than anything or anyone. I want you, and only you. I'll wait for you, however long it takes."

He took his caring hand and wiped my tears off of my cheeks and eyes. "No more tears, my love," he whispered, "Save those for when you miss me most."

I choked back fresh tears, knowing that if that was the case, I would be crying a lot. I nodded in response, desperate not to cling to him again. He put both of his hands on my cheeks and kissed me lovingly. I whimpered into the kiss, never wanting it to end.

After what felt like eternity, he stood up, got dressed, and looked down at me. I kept my head down, struggling to keep myself together. I noticed him take one of his warp rings off of his left arm and place it next to me. I looked at it in confusion.

"If you ever need my assistance, use it," he said. And with that, he walked out the door and into the hallway. After the door had closed, I let my tears fall again, knowing that it was no use to hold them back.

Chapter Thirteen:

I did the first thing that came mind; talk to Alice. I ran out of the room, tears still falling and the warp ring clutched in my hand. I ran straight to Alice's room, not once caring about the stares that I got. I knocked on her door frantically.

"Alice! Alice, it's me!" I cried.

She slowly opened the door. She saw my face and stared at me in shock.

"Phoebe? What's wrong?"

"A-Alice, I know we haven't talked in a while, but there's a lot I need to tell you."

"O-Ok Phoebe, calm down. Come in here."

She let me into her room and let me sit on her bed. My shoulders still shook as I sobbed, tears dripping off of my face. Alice sat right next to me, her leg touching mine. She looked down and saw the warp ring in my hand. Her face darkened a little.

"So he gave one to you, huh?"

"Wh-What? Oh…Yeah…"

She looked straight into my eyes. "How long have you two been together?"

I could barely bring myself to look her in the eye. "A-Alice, I-I'm so sorry… I-I wanted to tell you really I did, but… So much happened, I just couldn't…"

"Tch, yeah, a lot happened all right… The only thing that stopped you from seeing me was being with him, right?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but I knew she was right.

"Being with Finitevus just makes you forget about everyone else that cares about you, right?" she said bitterly.

"I-I didn't forget about you Alice! Really, I didn't! I was going to tell you about Finitevus and me, but then Asmodeus and Danielle came, and…"

"So that's what stopped you from telling me in the hallway?! That's what stopped you from noticing me?!" she yelled furiously.

I started to cry harder. "A-Alice, I didn't mean to hurt you, I…"

Tears were forming in her eyes too. "If you want to be with him, then why aren't you with him now?"

"That's what I wanted to tell you! Alice, he's gone!"

"Wait… What?"

"Finitevus is gone! He left a few minutes ago! He's not coming back for a week!"

She glared at me. "That's what you're crying about? Your precious boyfriend has left you for a few days, and you just can't stand to be without him even for a minute?"

I stared at her in shock. "Alice, there's more to it than that!"

"Do I really look like I care? I don't care about what happens in your love life!"

"Alice…" I couldn't tell exactly what was wrong, but I could sense a hint of jealousy in Alice's voice. Was she jealous of Finitevus?

She looked away from me, tears running down her cheeks. "I thought we were friends… I thought we would stick together forever… I never thought that anyone would come between us…"

"Finitevus doesn't have to come between us," I said.

"But yet he has. I mean, look at me! I'm yelling at you based on the fact that you've been with him instead of me!"

"That's my fault though!"

"Stop trying to defend him!" she screamed. I was taken aback, my body frozen. There was something else going on, something that Alice wasn't telling me.

"I-I've been listening to you and your sob stories for years, Phoebe. I've always been here for you when nobody else has. You've been like a sister to me. I love you, Phoebe, more than you know."

I stared at her in shock again. "Alice…"

Heavier tears were coming out of her eyes. "I-I feel like he's replaced me… Like you love him more than you love me… I feel like our relationship doesn't matter anymore… Ever since he came along, I've been jealous of him… I envy him…"

I wrapped my arms around her as she sobbed.

"Finitevus can never replace the relationship we have, Alice… You've been like a sister to me, too, and I will never let anyone change that…"

We both let all of our tears out as we comforted each other.

I went back to my room shortly after for the rest of the day. Even though Alice and I had figured out the struggle between us, I still couldn't help but feel a little sad…

Maybe she was right. Maybe Finitevus was replacing Alice in a way. It wasn't in the way that she was thinking of, but to me it was like I was being comforted by him more instead of by Alice.

Whatever the case was, now that I knew how Alice truly felt, I couldn't help but wonder if we would ever be the same again. I knew that I would never look at her the same way again.

I looked down at the warp ring, suddenly realizing how alone I was as I sat on my bed, my bodice untied. I had stopped crying, but I still felt the sadness deep in my heart. Being without Finitevus for a week was going to be a struggle, but I would have to go through it. If anything happened to me, I would have to endure it alone.

I sighed and put the warp ring on the side table and slipped my dress strap off my shoulder, suddenly realizing how tired I was.

But just as I was about to take the other strap off, I heard a knock on my door. My eyes snapped towards the door. For a split second, I was afraid that it was Alice again. I didn't know what I was going to do if it was her…

_Oh no, please don't be Alice… _

"It's me." I was so relieved when I heard Madam Espenil's voice behind the wood. I hurriedly pulled my dress strap back on and tied my bodice before rushing over and opening the door.

"M-Madam," I addressed her as I bowed slightly.

"May I come in?" she asked politely.

"O-Of course…" I replied.

She walked inside and sat on the side of my bed. I walked over and sat next to her. I couldn't help but grip the fabric of my skirt again.

"Phoebe," she said slowly, "do you know why I'm here?"

I kept my head down as I fiddled with my skirt. "N-No…"

"There have been rumors going around that you have fallen in love with one of the guests."

My fingers froze as they gripped the fabric. My grip grew shaky as I gulped and lowered my head further.

"And they say that this guest was the one you slept with for the first time."

I didn't dare move. I just waited for the worst to come…

"Phoebe," Madam Espenil said, "I know that it's Dr. Finitevus they're talking about, even if they don't know it."

"…"

"Phoebe, I know that you two have spent a long time together. Surely you two have grown close…"

"…"

She sighed and placed one hand on mine. I looked up at her with worry.

She smiled at me as she said, "It's ok to tell me. I'm not mad."

I looked down again, struggling to find the words I wanted to say, "I don't know how to…"

"Phoebe, do you love him?"

I looked up into her caring eyes. I nodded as my eyes burned with tears. "More than anything."

"It's ok, Phoebe. There's no need to be upset," she said reassuringly.

"I know that you said you're not mad, but he…"

"I know. He left a few hours ago. I'm sorry Phoebe."

I only gave a sad nod in return.

"Phoebe, why do you love him?" she asked.

"He makes me feel good," I replied, "He doesn't slap me around and order me to take my clothes off like the other guests do. He actually gives me love and affection. He cares about me."

The Madam slowly nodded. "Now, tell me, and please be honest. Did you really go to bed with him?"

I shook my head.

"Then you two have not done it yet?"

I couldn't stop the sadness from showing up on my face as I shook my head again.

She gave me an understanding smile. "I told you he did not wish to hurt you. I'm sure that when he returns, he will take that next step with you."

I felt her hand touch my face and turn it towards her. "If you are not ready, however, when he does come back, then you need to tell him. Making love to a man at your age is a very delicate thing. You need to take it as slowly as you need to."

I nodded as I sniffled slightly. "Th-Thank you Madam," I bowed my head slightly, "thank you for understanding."

She nodded in return, but to my surprise, she wrapped her arms around me and embraced me warmly. I couldn't help but let out a gasp of shock.

"You have always been like a daughter to me," she whispered, "I promise I will always care for you and treat you as such."

I wrapped my arms around her in return. I felt so secure in her grasp. "Thank you…" was all I could say.

She kissed the top of my head lightly before ending the hug. She stood up and left the room. After the door closed, I looked over at the warp ring. I couldn't help but smile slightly as I thought of the moment when I would be reunited with Finitevus. We would be so happy together. Nothing would harm either of us. It would be the perfect reunion. And afterwards, we would express our love for each other further. But I had to wait… I had to wait until he understood.

A small tear rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away with my hand. Then, I untied my bodice and started to slip my dress off for the night. I can't be for sure, but as soon as I started undressing, I swear I saw a bright light flash from within my closet…

Chapter Fourteen:

For five days, I mostly stayed in my room, anticipating the moment when Finitevus would finally come back. After a while, I started to assume that he really would be gone for a whole week. I felt depressed at the thought of him not coming back for another two days. But I would just have to wait.

As I walked down the hallway for almost no reason, I kept my head down as the guests whistled and drunkenly attempted to grab at me. I completely ignored them though. But one person's grasp clung to me tight. I looked over at my left arm and saw Alice grabbing me determinedly.

"Alice…?"

"Phoebe, you have to get out of here!" she said urgently.

"What? Why do I have to…?"

"Go to the village, go to Finitevus, go wherever; just get away from here!"

"Why?"

She brought me closer to her as she whispered, "Your dad's here."

My eyes widened in fright at her. No… There was no way… "H-How do you know?"

"I saw a man that looked a lot like you, and he kept asking the other girls for you."

No… No… He had abandoned me… Why would he come back? I swallowed hard, struggling to keep my composure.

"O-Ok, I'll go to my room and get what I need and then leave."

Alice hugged me tight. "I'll see you later, ok?"

I hugged her back. "Of course."

I wrenched the stupid stilettos off of my feet before I sprinted down the hallway straight to my room. I yanked the door open and threw the shoes aside before my fumbling fingers grasped the warp ring from my nightstand. I clutched my mother's necklace from around my neck. I let out a deep breath, relieved that it was still there.

As I held the ring in my fingers, I suddenly realized that I had no idea how to use it… And on top of that, I had no idea where Finitevus was… I clenched my teeth together furiously as my hands continued to shake. I took a few deep breaths and forced myself to calm down. I just thought about Finitevus…

Just as the ring started to open, a familiar voice said, "Hey honey."

The ring fell back into my hands as my thoughts broke. My eyes widened in fear as I stood perfectly still. I didn't dare look into my father's face.

I could hear his footsteps as he walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He stood only a foot or so away from me. I slowly turned my head and looked into his eyes. He smiled at me. I couldn't tell what it meant though…

"It's been awhile, hasn't it Emily?"

Emily… I hadn't been called that name in at least five years… I could hear Mom's voice as she used to say my name so kindly, so gently… My eyes started to burn again, but I forced myself to fight back the tears.

My dad put a hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to be afraid, Em. I'm only here to talk."

I kept my head down, avoiding his gaze.

As he sat me down on the bed next to him, I placed the warp ring back on the night stand, but right on the edge closest to me.

I stared at my skirt as he asked me, "So, how's life been treating you?"

I shrugged. "All right I guess."

"I heard from the other girls that a certain man had taken a liking to you."

I body grew rigid. Darn blabbermouths… They really couldn't keep their mouths shut, could they?

I forced myself to take another deep breath. "Y-Yes, someone has."

"I can see why," he replied. He moved ever so slightly closer to me. I glanced over at the warp ring. I knew that I would have to use it a split second's notice.

He brushed my hair out of the side of my face. I cringed at the feel of his touch.

"You've got your mother's face, you know that? So beautiful…"

At first, I thought that he might get into an outraged fit like he used to and yell at me, and beat me, and blame me for Mom's death. But I was in for a shock. Instead, he brought me closer to him and touched the top of my chest. I tried to pull away from him, but his grasp stayed strong and firm around my waist.

"Emily, do your dad a favor," he whispered, "Show me…"

My body shook terribly in utter fear. "Sh-Show you what?"

"Show me what you've been trained to do for five years. Show me how you make that man of yours happy."

I desperately tried to pull myself out of his grasp. But his strong arms only held me tighter.

"N-No!" I screamed.

He didn't like that. As I scrambled for the warp ring, his strong hand yanked my arm back, causing the warp ring to fall onto the floor. He grabbed my head and slammed it against the wall. I yelled out in pain, everything going blurry. I could barely tell what was happening anymore.

I tried to fight against him, but he was far stronger than me, and my head couldn't focus after being rattled. Everything was so blurry… But to my dismay, I could feel everything happening. He pinned me down onto the bed… He took all of my clothes off… He clasped one hand onto my mouth after I had been screaming as loud as I could. He took his own clothes off… Tears poured down my face as the real pain started. I wanted to scream, but in his hand, they only came out as mumbles…

My body was shaking horribly as my head cleared enough for me to see straight. I had felt like I had blacked out for an hour. My body was completely numb as I had a bed sheet clutched to it. My dad wasn't in the bed with me anymore. I noticed the bathroom light on. Tears were continuing to dampen face. I whimpered slightly, the memory of it all coming back to me. I put one hand on my mouth as I started to cry again. He had actually done it… I could remember it…

On the floor, I saw the warp ring glinting up at me… I forced myself to gain enough composure for me to stand up and pick it up. I heard the sink turn on in the bathroom. I kissed the ring as I thought of Finitevus…

In an instant, the ring had opened, and I had stumbled into it just as my dad had come back out.

I was kneeling on the floor of Finitevus's lab. I still couldn't stop the flow of tears as Finitevus ran to my side and the warp ring closed behind me.

"Aphrodite, what has happened to you?" Finitevus asked urgently.

It felt so good to hear his voice again… to see him again… But even that joy couldn't suppress the trauma in my heart. I tried to choke back enough tears to speak.

"I-It all happened so fast… I-I couldn't get to you before it happened…"

"Before what happened?"

"M-My dad came to the brothel… He went straight to my room… At first, h-he only wanted to talk to me about my life… B-But a split second later, he tells me to show him what I've been raised for five years to do… I told him no, of course, but he didn't take that for an answer… H-He slammed my head against the wall, then pinned me onto the bed… A-And then he started taking my dress off… I-I tried to fight back, but my head hurt so badly and I felt so dizzy… H-He's so much stronger than me, anyways… A-And then… A-And then…"

I sobbed even harder. I couldn't stop the horrible memory of it all from consuming me. I knew I had to say it… "H-He raped me, Finitevus… My own father raped me…"

He pulled me into his arms and let me cry for as long as I needed to. It felt so comforting to be in his arms again… to feel the warmth of his chest.

After a minute or two, Finitevus whispered, "Aphrodite, I know not how violated and revolted you must feel."

"I-I can't even describe it…" I whimpered, "It hurt so bad… He did it so hard… and he didn't even give me a chance…"

"I know… I know…"

"H-He's my dad… Wh-Why would he enjoy doing something like that to me…?"

"I do not understand either. But do not worry. I will take care of you now. I'm sorry I left you and allowed this to happen to you. I swear on my life I will never leave you again after today."

"I-It's not your fault, Finitevus… Really, it isn't… P-Please don't blame yourself…"

He continued to hold me for a few more minutes before he slowly let go of me. "There is a shower down the hallway to the right if you would like. I will go and bring you back some of your clothes."

I sniffled and nodded as I stared up at him with gratitude, the bed sheet still clutched tight against me. "Th-Thank you…"

"Of course. I won't be gone long."

I carefully stood up and walked down the hallway, continuing to cry. I turned the shower to almost as hot as it would go and stepped inside, feeling myself cry harder as the water comforted me.


	6. Chapter 15, 16, and 17

Chapter Fifteen:

I scrubbed myself off rigorously, trying to get rid of the sickening feeling in my heart. I tried to stop my constant sobbing so that I could breathe. But the more and more I tried to forget about what happened, the more I remembered it. The memories of it just kept swirling around in my mind, cycling through my emotions. I just stood in the hot water, trying to burn away my anguish.

But suddenly…I felt… nothing… No pain, no sorrow… just… nothing… My head became numb, the steam in the room becoming the only thing I saw. The one thought in my mind was… I don't care.

_I don't care if I live or die… What does it matter? My life is full of nothing but misery… Maybe death would finally end my horrible misfortune…_

I slowly turned the water off as I stepped out of the shower. I wrapped the towel tightly around me as I walked out the door and back into the hallway. At first, the only thing I was thinking about was finding something sharp. But after looking around mindlessly, I suddenly remembered where I was. The memories of Finitevus came back over me like a wave. I stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes widening in realization.

_Wait… What was I thinking?! _Just a second ago I had thought that I had no joy in my life, that I should just kill myself and be done with it… _But Finitevus has given me so much joy. He's made me so happy. He's saved my life! How can I possibly think that I'm not happy?_

I knew that I couldn't just let what my dad had done to me make me think that life wasn't worth anything anymore. I would endure it, move on from it. I would be strong… I would be happy. Besides, how would Finitevus feel if he came back and found me, the love of his life, dead by her own hand? He would be heartbroken, devastated… I couldn't be so selfish.

Once I had finally started to think clearly, I sat down in one of the computer chairs, keeping the towel tight against me as I waited for Finitevus to come back. As the minutes ticked away, I started to wonder why it was taking so long just to get my clothes for me…

Chapter Sixteen:

After what felt like forever, a warp ring opened up and Finitevus stepped out of it and into the room. I looked at him in shock, his arrival somewhat sudden. One hand behind his back, he handed me my dress.

"O-Oh… Thanks…" I said. I remembered that I was only in a towel as I looked down at myself and blushed. I still wasn't comfortable with the idea of Finitevus seeing me naked. "Um…"

"The bedroom's at the end of the hallway," he said.

I nodded and smiled shyly. "Thanks."

I ran off down the hallway and shut the door quickly. I changed fairly quickly, anxious to see Finitevus again for longer. I made sure that more of my chest was showing before going back out.

I walked into the room and sat down in the chair next to Finitevus. I kept my legs together as I folded my hands in my lap. I was curious about what else Finitevus was doing while he was back at the brothel, but I didn't want to show it too much.

"So, uh…" I asked as I kept my head down, "did you run into my dad?"

He seemed to think about it for a second. "Yes."

I looked up in curiosity. "And did you do anything?"

He shook his head. I gave him a puzzled look.

"Suicide," he said quickly before I could ask any questions.

My eyes widened in shock. "Really?"

He nodded emotionlessly. "He jumped out of the window to his death into the rose bush. He left a note in your room."

"O-Oh… I see…" I looked down again as my fingers fumbled with my skirt.

I could feel his eyes focusing on me. "Are you mourning for him?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh, of course not! He did terrible things to me! He sold me to become a prostitute when I was 9! He raped me today! I'm not mourning, I'm just… He's family, y'know? It doesn't matter what he did, he's still family, and blood is thicker than water."

No matter what, death is a terrible thing. Horrible people deserve to die, but they at least deserve a chance. And despite everything that my dad had done…I still loved him. And the weird thing is… I don't know why.

Finitevus just stared at me. "I see…"

He seemed a little bit confused by my response. I guess he just couldn't understand my sympathy for my dad.

We were both silent for a little while. I had time to think for a little bit, and the more I thought, the more that I wanted to see what had happened for myself.

I drew up enough strength to say my thoughts out loud.

"Can… Can we go back? I-I want to read the note," I said uncertainly. I wasn't sure if Finitevus wanted me to see the horrible scene.

He nodded in response. "If that is what you wish."

I nodded back. I found my way onto my feet as we both stood up. Finitevus opened a warp ring that led back to the brothel.

Feeling a deep sense of gratitude, I turned him towards me. I leaned forward and gently put my lips onto his. As we kissed for the first time in almost a week, I couldn't help but feel euphoria for the times when it was just us, together, and nothing bad had happened.

I kept my body close to him as I whispered, "Thank you."

He leaned forward and returned the kiss before we entered the room together.

Chapter Seventeen:

The first place that Finitevus showed me was the place where my dad had jumped to. I precariously put my foot on the window ledge as I looked down below. I gasped in disgust as I stared at his bloodied body. I thought he was a bit bloody for just falling into a rose bush…

But my mind was stuck on that disgusting image of him lying there, dead. I felt sick to my stomach and thought that I would faint. Finitevus gently held my hand as he helped me off of the ledge. I felt light-headed, disoriented and confused. I looked over at the nightstand and saw a note laying there.

I slowly unfolded it and read it out loud.

"To My Dearest Phoebe,

I feel truly awful for the way I have treated you all these years. I know I have never been much of a father to you, and I was hoping that we could have a nice reunion today. But I messed that all up for us. I allowed my lust and greed to get the better of me, so I shall now carry out a suitable punishment: taking my own life.

I know that it will never truly atone for my sins against you, but at least it will show you how much I truly love you. Please accept my apology by taking my life as collateral.

With All My Love,

Your Father."

I read over the letter over and over again. My dad… actually trying to show that he even had an ounce of respect and love for me? No… there was no way…

My eyes burned with tears of fury as I balled up the note. The only reason he had written the note that way was to try to make me feel sympathy for him. But the fact that he actually thought that I would feel bad for him after what he did made me feel sick. I felt somewhat bad for him before… but now… No… he could face the devil himself and I wouldn't care.

"Go to Hell!" I screamed as I threw the paper onto the ground. I could feel the hot tears running down my cheeks, "To think he had the nerve to tell me how much he loved me when he was ready to die! Where was your love when you were forcing me to sleep with you!? Huh!? Where was your messed up love then!? You never loved me! You sold me away because you never wanted me! Ever since Mom died, all you wanted was a quick buck and a smoke or two! So you sold your own daughter because she got in the way! I was just a reminder of how bad your life was! That's all I ever was to you! Just an obstacle!"

I feel to my knees as I put my face in my hands. "I hate you! I hate you! I don't need your stupid love… I hate you…"

Finitevus knelt down next to me and held me tight as I cried into his chest. He rubbed my back lovingly as I let out my despair and rage.

My mind fogged with frustration and sorrow, I whimpered, "I-I hate the world… I wish it would go up in flames…"

Finitevus stayed quiet as I cried for a minute longer before I whispered, "Finitevus… please never leave me… Without you, I'd get crushed by this world… I'd become nothing more than a tool for men, just like you said… Thank you for seeing me as something more than a prostitute. Thank you for treating me like someone that matters. Thank you for giving me actual love that I can cherish and return. Thank you for saving me… Thank you…"

He gave me a gentle kiss on the top of my head as I silently cried into him.


End file.
